Sevilla targets the promising Arlauskis

Steaua is having some trouble completing the transfers of Stelios Parpas (24, central defender from AEL) and Gora Tall (24, central defender from APOP). Sporting director Basarab Panduru went to Cyprus to close the deals, but reported increased demands from both club players. Steaua’s owner Gigi Becali is confident as always that everything will go smoothly, as he’s prepared to chip in and satisfy everyone, but as a backup plan, the Bucharest side is keeping tabs on the experienced centre back Andrius Skerla (32, Lithuanian, from Jagiellonia) and the unattached Michael Umana (27, national team regular for Costa Rica), who apparently refused the invitation to a trial.

Leonardo Henrique Veloso (22) has become a target for Dinamo Bucharest. The Romanian club is looking at two options: buying the Brazilian defender right now, if Willem II accepts a reasonable deal, or complete the move in the summer, when the player will run out of contract with the Dutch side. Leonardo is an attacking full back, who collected to far 40 macthes in the Eredivisie, for Willem II.

FC Timisoara is trying to fill the hole left by Gigel Bucur’s departure to Russia , by signing Jan Kozak (29). A regular and the vice-captain of Slovakia’s national team, Kozak could have arrived earlier in Romania, as he was negotiating with FC Brasov, but the club pulled out after coach Viorel Moldovan decided that he has the second striker position well covered. Timisoara is tempted by the low transfer fee announced by Slovan Bratislava, 100.000 EUR, and the players demands (200.000 EUR for a contract until June 2011). Update: Kozak passed today the medical exam and is officially a FC Timisoara player.

Giedrius Arlauskis (22) is a transfer target for FC Sevilla, a team that battled with Unirea Urziceni, in the Champions League. The very promising Lithuanian goalie was bought for around 150.000 EUR back in 2008, is among the three best players on this position in the country and should turn out an excellent deal for Unirea in the summer, when Sevilla and other interested foreign clubs are expected to make a move for the keeper.

Radu Baicu

• 15 years of continuous work in scouting, for top clubs and companies;
• Worked for clubs like Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Hannover 96, covering the Romanian market;
• Worked for Birmingham based company ‘The Scouting Network’ (www.tsn.co.uk) as a football scout;
• Worked for Zurich based company Boutique Football as a scouting network coordinator;
• International scout for Young Boys Bern for 2 years, covering Eastern European football.
• Working for the past 5 years as an international scout for a top French club.